Rebeca Riofrio Opening Speech at the Creative Women Forum Saudi Arabia 2025 with Grace and Vision

The sun rose over Riyadh with quiet certainty, casting its light across the grand architecture of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University — the world’s largest women’s university and the proud host of the Creative Women Forum Saudi Arabia 2025. Inside, the energy was palpable: rows of women, innovators, and visionaries gathered beneath the banner “Empower • Engage • Sustain – Women Leading Initiatives.”

Alongside speeches from the Forum’s patron, Her Royal Highness Princess Noura bint Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Founder and CEO Olga Balakleets, stood Rebeca Riofrio, Executive Director of the Forum and Chairwoman of the UK Parliamentary Society for Arts, Fashion & Sports. Her calm poise and unmistakable sense of purpose carried the room as she stepped to the podium to deliver the opening address.

“It is my great honour to welcome you to the Creative Women Forum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” she began — her words deliberate yet warm, drawing a quiet focus from an audience of global delegates. “As we return for our second year in this remarkable country, we do so with immense pride, gratitude, and a renewed sense of purpose.”

Her speech framed the essence of the day — gratitude, vision, and the power of collective purpose. Speaking within the vast halls of Princess Nourah University, Riofrio paid tribute to Her Royal Highness Princess Noura bint Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, whose patronage and enduring belief in women’s advancement had once again made the Forum a reality.

“Her Royal Highness embodies the very essence of visionary leadership. I have never seen a royal work with such dedication — Saudi Arabia is truly fortunate to have her. Princess Noura is determined and deeply committed to advancing opportunities for women across the Kingdom and beyond. Working alongside her has been both a privilege and a profound inspiration.”

Around her, the audience listened in thoughtful silence — delegates from more than fifty countries, each representing a different sphere of leadership: business, science, the arts, diplomacy, and technology. The moment was not ceremonial; it was purposeful. Riofrio’s words carried the weight of lived experience — more than two decades of building bridges between art and enterprise, culture and innovation.

In her address, she extended heartfelt appreciation to Olga Balakleets, Founder and CEO of the Creative Women Platform, for shaping this global movement of female leaders; and to Aleksandra Shchelkonogova, whose precise coordination ensured the seamless orchestration of this year’s event. She also acknowledged the dedication of the SIGULP team and the Women Leadership Centre at Princess Nourah University, whose collaboration, she noted, “strengthens our shared pursuit of creativity, innovation, and leadership.”

“Together,” she said, “we celebrate a common ethos with the Women Leadership Centre at Princess Nourah University — empowering women to lead with confidence, resilience, and purpose.”

Day One unfolded in the spirit of her words — vibrant, thoughtful, and purposeful. Conversations echoed through the university’s grand halls; ideas were exchanged not as theories, but as promises waiting to be fulfilled. Panels explored the intersections of sustainability, innovation, and creative enterprise. The atmosphere was one of quiet revolution — grounded in knowledge, elevated by purpose.

Riofrio’s welcome was more than a speech; it was a call to presence — a reminder that the future of leadership rests not in power, but in unity, collaboration, and the courage to create.

And as the day drew to a close, there lingered an unmistakable sense that something remarkable had begun — that within the heart of Riyadh, under the guidance of women like Rebeca Riofrio and Her Royal Highness Princess Noura bint Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a movement was taking shape — one that will continue to illuminate pathways for generations to come.

Clips from that day: